如何认识自然：认知模式的中美偏好比较

How to Recognize Nature: Preference Comparison of Cognition Patterns between China and America

摘要: 如何认知自然对人类知识的发展进程起着非常重要的作用。面对杂多的自然客体，存在两种重要的认知模式：一种是作用–功能认知模式，倾向于探究自然客体对人所具有的作用和功能，另一种是元素–结构认知模式，倾向于探究自然客体本身的组成要素和空间结构。本研究以中美大学生为研究对象，采用两项实验对不同认知模式的中美偏好进行比较研究，结果发现：1) 作用–功能认知模式是不同文化共同的认知模式，具有文化的普适性，与元素–结构认知模式相比，中美被试对作用–功能认知模式都表现出更大程度的偏好；2) 陌生情境下，中美被试对作用–功能认知模式的偏好没有显著差异，熟悉情境下，与美国被试相比，中国被试更偏好作用–功能认知模式；3) 两种实验情境下，与中国被试相比，美国被试更偏好元素–结构认知模式。

Abstract: How to recognize nature plays a crucial role in the development of human knowledge. There are two kinds of cognition pattern to perceive natural objects when facing miscellaneous existence: one is the utility-function cognition pattern, and the other is the element-structure cognition pattern. The former tends to explore the function of natural objects, while the latter tends to explore the constituent elements and spatial structure of natural objects themselves. The present researches compared the preference of cognition pattern between Chinese and American college students by two experiments. The results showed as follows: 1) The utility-function cognition pattern is a universal cognitive pattern among different cultures. Compared with element-structure cognition pattern, both Chinese and American participants showed a greater preference for the utility-function cognition pattern; 2) In unfamiliar situations, there was no significant preference difference between Chinese and American participants for the utility-function cognition pattern, but in familiar situations, Chinese participants preferred the utility-function cognition pattern more than American participants; 3) In the two experimental situations, compared with Chinese participants, American participants preferred the element-structure cognitive pattern.